Celtic Symbols of Love

Celtic symbols of love represent different types of love including true love, spiritual love, and love between friends. Read on to take a look at several of these symbols of love.

One of the main Celtic symbols of love is the Claddagh. The name comes from a village that has a love story connected to it. The story is set in the 16th century when a man was fishing off the coast of Galway in Ireland. He was engaged to be married in a very short time but his boat capsized and pirates captured him. He was taken to Africa and sold into slavery. Years later, he managed to escape and return home to find the girl he loved was still waiting for him.

He made a ring for her that had a heart with two hands around it and a crown above it. The crown stood for loyalty, the heart symbolized love, and the hands represented friendship. The two lovers were married and lived in the village of Claddagh. The ring was worn, and is still worn, as a sign of everlasting love. When you wear a ring like this and the heart is pointing towards you it means you heart is taken. If it is pointed away, it means your heart is free. If it is worn on the left ring finger and the heart points towards you, then it is being used as a wedding ring.

Welsh Spoon

The Welsh Love Spoon is another one of the Celtic symbols of love. The tradition goes way back, when a suitor would give his love a carved wooden spoon. It showed the girl's father the suitor could provide for her. Sometimes sailors would carve these spoons while away at sea. That is why many of them have carvings of anchors. Other symbols carved into the spoons were bells for marriage, hearts for love, a cross for faith, and a lock for security.

Another symbol is called a Luckenbooth. It is a brooch given at the time of engagement or at the wedding. It was sold in small booths that were locked at night, hence the name. Sometimes there were hearts on the brooch or phrases of love and usually they were heart-shaped with a crown. These Luckenbooths were also considered lucky charms that could protect the wearer, ease the pain of childbirth, and ensure breast milk flowed. If it was pinned to a baby's shawl, it would keep her from being stolen by fairies. Most of these brooches today have two hearts topped by a crown. They can be made of silver, iron, or brass. Many times there is a gem or two included.

Celtic Knots

Celtic knots can show a variety of things. If there are three parts to it, it can symbolize earth, wind, and water, or mind, body, and soul. Some Celtic knots show love by having two knots intertwined. These stand for lovers or the spiritual union between God and man.

There is a Celtic symbol called the Serch Bythol, which incorporates two triskeles. Each of these is a three cornered knot and each one represents the spirit, body, and mind of one individuals. The two triskeles meet in the middle and form a circle that denotes eternity. So together, the Serch Bythol symbolizes two people who are joined together totally in mind, body, and spirit and in eternal love.

The Celtic Sailor's Knot or the Celtic Lover's Knot was often made at sea by sailors for their loved ones. The knot is made by weaving two ropes together and joining them together to make one continuous loop. So it symbolizes the union of two becoming one.